Interesting that nzer should point out the grossly inflated salaries that AN was obviously UNABLE to afford.
An article in "The Press" (while I was there on hols in October) stated that Ansett Australia 737 pilots were paid about $53,000 MORE p.a. than an Air New Zealand 737 driver. (For anyone interested in doing a search, from memory it was a week-end edition carrying a supplement called "A dingo stole my airline"). Obviously not the pilots "fault", as salaries are set by management!